ALEX PRACHER, stanford cardinal

Despite finishing the season at or above .500 for the 32nd time in Head Coach Mark Marquess' 33 years at the helm, national perennial power Stanford missed the NCAA Regionals last season. The end result was especially bitter considering the Cardinal had made it all the way to Omaha the season before. Despite losing über closer Drew Storen to the MLB draft and ultra athletic outfielder Toby Gerhart to the NFL, the Cardinal could be competing again on a national scale in 2010. Stanford returns their two leading hitters from last season, has its weekend rotation intact, fields one of the best defensive teams in the nation and tauts one of the most lauded incoming freshman classes.

A breakout year by an athlete on at the plate or on the mound could be what the Cardinal need to topple the end result in their favor. One prime candidate for such a season is junior hurler Alex Pracher. A bullpen specialist from Marlton, N.J., Pracher has shown hints of brilliance in his first two seasons in Palo Alto. As a freshman he finished second on Stanford's College World Series pitching staff with 22 appearances and made his collegiate debut with two scoreless relief innings against Nebraska. Last season he didn't allow a single run in his first three appearances which included games against Cal State Fullerton and Texas. Over this past summer Pracher produced a miniscule 0.82 ERA for Westhampton of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League. He went 3-1 with 25 strikeouts over 22.0 innings and only allowed 13 hits for the Aviators. For his effort Pracher was named one of the leagues top 10 prospects by Baseball America.

As this year's highly anticipated opening day drew near, Ping!Baseball had a chance for a little Q&A with the Stanford righty:

Ping!Baseball: As a New Jersey native was there much hesitation to pack up and move across the county to go to college? I would think the decision to go to school at Stanford would be an easy decision, but it must have been hard to choose to be so far from family and friends.

Pracher: To be honest, as much of a change it was to move across the country, it never really seemed like an option to me.  I had wanted to play baseball at Stanford since I was a kid, so having the opportunity to do so was too good to pass up.

Ping!Baseball: As a freshman two years ago Stanford made it to Omaha and the College World Series; however you didn't get to see any action on the field. How difficult was it for you to watch your teammates play on the biggest stage while you remained on the side?

Pracher: Actually, I was not on the 25 man roster for the World Series, so I watched my teammates play on ESPN like everyone else.  It was pretty tough not being there, but now I look at it in a different light.  Not getting to experience Omaha two years ago makes me want to get there this year even more.

Ping!Baseball: Rusty Filter, who coached Stephen Strasburg at San Diego State last season, is your new pitching coach. How has he impacted your development?

Pracher: Coach Filter has given me the confidence to challenge hitters and fill up the zone regardless of the situation.  His hard-nosed attitude has rubbed off on me and made our entire staff better.

Ping!Baseball: With just a couple of days until the start of the season has your role on the Cardinal staff been established?

Pracher: None of the roles have been set in stone yet, so I don't know what it will look like opening weekend.  But I am ready to fill whatever role the coaching staff thinks would help the team win.

Ping!Baseball: Despite the teams' run to Omaha in 2008, last year had to be a disappointment as the team finished at 30-25 and didn't receive a Regional bid. Despite big losses offensively and pitching wise, how confident are you that the team will be playing into the extended post season this spring?

Pracher: I am extremely confident in my team this year.  In many ways, I believe we are a more complete team than the World Series team two years ago.  We have depth in both the offense and the pitching staff, as well as a freshman class that rivals any other in the country.  If the older guys can take a page out of the book of leaders from years before, like Jason Castro, we will be able to compete with anybody this year.

Ping!Baseball: If you were designing a Mount Rushmore of baseball greats, what four players would get your vote for inclusion?

Pracher: Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, and Nolan Ryan.  But I grew up a Yankee fan, so I may be a little biased.

Ping!Baseball: You've played with some tremendous athletes including Jason Castro who was drafted in the first round two years ago, Drew Storen who was selected 10 th overall last season and Toby Gerhart who was a football Heisman finalist this past fall. If I'm investing in sports cards, whose rookie card should I stock up on?

Pracher: I plead the fifth on which one is going to be worth more.  But I guarantee you that buying all three would be a profitable investment.